Al Kent - The Best of Disco Demands (2011)

Now previously, I’ve written about quite a few disco compilations, but never one like this. This is something quite different and very special. The other disco compilations I’ve reviewed were good, very good, but this takes disco compilations to a new level. Whereas the other compilations had either one or two discs, The Best of Disco Demands has five, yes five discs of brilliant disco music. However, this is disco music with a difference. Not for Al Kent a Glasgow born DJ the usual tracks from the usual labels, no way. Instead, Al’s eschewed labels like Salsoul, West End and Prelude Records which are all great labels with so much great music to offer, but in all honestly, have been covered widely so many times before. So instead, Al dug deeply into the disco vaults looking for tracks that are new, fresh and different, deserving to find their way onto his compilation. As if this isn’t enough, of the forty-five tracks, Al decided to reedit forty-eight of the tracks. No wonder that this compilation took so long to compile, with so many tracks to reedit. Of these reedits, many have a house sound and feel, due to the way Al’s reedited them. Many of the reedits have been heavily looped, fitting in with the style of music Al plays in his DJ sets. Eventually, The Best of Disco Demands was released on 9 January 2012, on BBE Records, resulting in the perfect soundtrack for the new year. So having had a couple of weeks to wallow in the genius of Al Kent’s disco Magnus opus, now is the time to tell you about Al Kent, and then his labor of love, The Best of Disco Demands.

Not only is Al Kent one of busiest men in dance music, but he’s also a multitalented man as well. As well as DJing all over the UK and around Europe, he’s also a promoter, record label owner and host of his Million Dollar Disco parties in Glasgow. Add to that, he’s a fanatical record collector, who is the proud owner of one of the largest collection of rare disco records in the world, and you realize that there’s more than one string to his bow. His talents also extend to production and reediting, which he’s been doing plenty of for his latest compilation on BBE Records, The Best of Disco Demands, thirty-nine to be exact.

However, Al’s no stranger to the music industry, having released numerous edits on a variety of labels. Then in January 2008, Al released his debut album. Al Kent presents The Million Dollar Orchestra. Entitled Better Days and released on BBE Records this is Al’s first artist album. A year later in 2009, Al released Secret Sounds before the first of two compilations of Disco Love on BBE Records. The first volume of Disco Love was released in February 2010, with Volume two released in April 2011. This brings us round to his latest album The Best of Disco Demands, which I mentioned earlier. Really, it’s no exaggeration to refer to The Best of Disco Demands as a true labor of love, wIth forty-five tracks stretching over five discs. Although the year is but young, The Best of Disco Demands must be one of the compilations of the year, and to help you decide whether to buy this box of disco delights, I’ll tell you about it.